Goin’ up the country — the old-style way

By BUD WILKINSON

It takes gumption, fortitude and a hefty checkbook to ride a pre-1929 motorcycle from coast-to-coast. Three men from Connecticut, along with five others (three men and two women) from across New England, are doing that this month. They’re among the nearly 125 riders who began the quest on Sept. 8. Those who complete the 3,400-mile adventure will cross the finish line on Sunday.

This is the fourth time that Dan Emerson of Woodstock has participated in the biennial rally known as the Motorcycle Cannonball. This year it is going from Portland to Portland – Maine to Oregon, although the finish line is actually in Stevenson, Wash.

Emerson (#75) is riding a 1911 Excelsior. “That’s that the question, isn’t it? It’s a challenge,” he replied when asked why he keeps entering.

Emerson was relaxing on the grass near the entrance to the Best Western Plus motel in Keene, N.H., when he spoke those words two weeks ago, having just finished the first leg of the cannonball. Nearby in the parking lot, other riders were assessing their still-warm antique machines while spectators watched as stragglers rode in.

Denis Sharon (#20) of New Milford is riding in the Motorcycle Cannonball for the third time. This time he’s using a 1916 Harley-Davidson 16F. Why is he competing again? “Because I’m a slow learner,” he responded with a smile. “It’s really a fabulous experience.”

The state’s third entry is first-timer Jeff Mcallister (#41) from Ridgefield. He’s on a 1927 Indian Chief. He’d previously assisted Sharon on 2016 and his reaction was “it’s just so amazing, I’ve got to do it.”

As of Thursday morning, Mcallister was in 56th place, Emerson was in 58th place and Sharon was in 64th place. The standings showed 104 riders remaining of the roughly 125 who started.

Sharon was having problems, though. Reached by phone on Wednesday night, he hurriedly reported that the engine on his Harley-Davidson had seized a few days earlier and that he was in a Harley shop in Great Falls, Mont., having it worked on.

The Motorcycle Cannonball isn’t a challenge that any rider attempts on a whim. It requires preparation and spare parts. Each rider needs a support team. Most have a pickup truck and a trailer filled with tools following along. The endeavor is complicated and costly. The bikes themselves are valuable collectibles. Experience helps.

“There are a lot of little skills you learn,” said Sharon. “Attention to detail in motorcycle preparation is clearly one.”

Having successfully completed the first day of the journey, Mcallister was enthused. “Absolutely fantastic, but now the litany of mechanical issues is growing,” he said. “If I can just overcome the little issues that keep cropping up, I’ll be OK.”

Checking in Thursday morning by phone, Emerson said the cannonball was “going good now” after a bad day in Iowa on Sept. 14. The route that day took riders from Anamosa to Spirit Lake, and Emerson suffered three flat tires. The first two flats he was able to fix but the third “put me on the truck,” he said.

What has been good has been the weather. “The weather has been unbelievable,” Emerson said. The only really inclement day was Sept. 10 when heavy rain forced riders to trailer from Binghamton to Jamestown, N.Y.

The other New England riders are Ben Pierce (#34) of Williston, Vt., on a 1923 Neracar; Jody Perewitz (#79) of Halifax, Mass., on a 1928 Harley-Davidson JD; Brian Pease (#92) of Milton, Vt., on a 1916 Henderson; Andrea Labarbara (#98) of Foxboro, Mass., on a 1913 Henderson; and James Maloney (#122) of Upton, Mass., on a 1928 Indian Scout.

Pease has participated in two previous cannonballs in 2014 and 2016, and dropped out along the way both times. “I haven’t been able to ride all the way across,” he said during the Keene stop, offering that it was “highly likely” that he’d make it this time. “I put 1,300 miles on the bike before we started. It’s running fine.”

As of Thursday, Pease was in seventh place, while rookie Labarbara was in the fourth spot. After day one, Labarbara had predicted, “I’m going coast-to-coast with relatively little problem.” Perewitz, meanwhile, was in 38th place. Maloney was in 77th place and Pierce was 96th.

Maloney’s purpose in doing the cannonball is to raise awareness of the problem of suicide among military veterans. His #122 signifies that every single day 22 vets take their lives. Day one went “better than expected,” said the three-tour combat vet. “I’m almost nervous about it.”

Getting to see such a collection of 100-year-old-or-so motorcycles in one location is a treat. Knowing what their owners are attempting to accomplish makes the viewing even more impactful.

“It has Americana. It has industrial history,” said Sharon of the Motorcycle Cannonball, noting that the camaraderie makes it special for participants. “There’s something in human nature. We welcome being tested. We get satisfaction from taking on a challenge.”

Bud Wilkinson may be reached by email at budw@ride-ct.com. He also writes about motorcycles daily at ride-ct.com as well as on Facebook at facebook.com/ridect and on Twitter at @ridect.